Humidity and temperature regulating air conditioner



Jan. 21, 1958 c. A. v. PRIEST 2,820,353

HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE REGULATING AIR CONDITIONER Filed Sept. 19, 1955 2,820,353 HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE REGULATING AIR CONDITIONER Charles Ashley Vincent Priest, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia, assigior of one-half to Leonard James Kittle, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia Application September 19, 1955, Serial No. 535,213 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-139) This invention relates to a humidity and temperature regulating air conditioner which has been designed specifically to allow air passing through the conditioner to have its temperature varied and which will also permit the humidity of such air to be regulated as required.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an arrangement in which a coolant such as water can be used to cool the air but without communication between the coolant and the treated air so that dry air can be passed through, means being however provided to allow the humidity of such air to be varied by introducing water vapour in the required proportion.

The invention comprises air ducts leading to and from a blower, and an evaporation chamber having its walls common with at least one of the ducts and means to spray water on to the walls of the evaporation chamber, means being provided to control the quantity of air flowin through the evaporation chamber.

According to one embodiment the ducts comprise a precooler duct and a heat exchange duct with a blower arranged between them so that air will be drawn through the precooler duct and discharged through the heat exchange duct, an evaporation chamber being disposed between the said ducts and having walls common therewith so that water sprayed on to the walls in the evaporation chamber by a pump will be evaporated by air which passes in a controlled quantity from the blower through the evaporation chamber and will regulate the amount of evaporation, means being provided to feed a controlled quantity of moisture into the blower to control the humidity. The heat exchange chamber may form the inner wall of the heat exchange duct, the interior walls of this chamber preferably also being washed with cold water from the spray-line and are thereby enabled to absorb heat from the air flowing over their outer surface.

In order that the invention may be more fully appreciated an embodiment will now be described with refer ence to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the unit,

Fig. 2 is a section of same on line 22 of Fig. 1 but with part of the main air transfer duct sectioned, and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. l. A main outer housing 1 carries in it an inner heat transfer chamber 2 which is surrounded by an outer evap- United States Patent 2,820,353 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 The wall 14 is connected by a series of webs 15 to thus greater cooling of the air being drawn through the duct 9 into the blower 6.

The lower part of the evaporation chamber 3 forms a sump 16 in which the water used for the cooling is carried, an inlet 17 allowing the supply to be maintained and an outlet 18 allowing draining when required.

The water for the heat exchange chamber 2 and the evaporation chamber 3 is drawn from this sump 16 by a pump 19 driven by a belt 20 from the motor 8, the pump having its outlet tube 21 connected to a pair of spraylines 22 disposed in the evaporation chamber 3, the pipe 21 also having a branch 23 connected thereto leading to a spray-line 24 disposed inside of the heat exchange chamber 2.

In this way water from the sump 16 is forced into the pipe 21 and issues through apertures in the spraylines 22 and 24 to keep the inside of the wall 14 of the evaporation chamber 3 wet as well as the outside wall 25 of the heat exchange duct 4 and the inner wall 26 of that duct.

As the air from the channel 5 is forced through the heat exchange duct 4 and flows over the walls 25 and 26 it is cooled by the cold water continuously sprayed over their other sides and gravitating to the sump to be recirculated by the pump 19.

The spray' line 24 passes through an aperture 27 which aperture serves also as a drain of water from the inside of the heat exchange chamber 2 back to the sump 16.

An air bleed channel 28 with a control valve 29 allows a regulated proportion of the air from the channel 5 to enter the evaporation chamber 3, this allowing good control of evaporation by allowing the amount of air flowing through the chamber to be selected. The air passes out of the evaporation chamber 3 through an opening 30 into the humid air chamber 31. In the drawing this is shown as housing the blower 6, the pump 19 and the 7 motor 8, but their components could be elsewhere positioned. Openings must of course be provided to give access to the blower, pump and motor.

Air from this chamber 31 may flow out through the outlet 32 and be led away to atmosphere outside of the building, but the air transfer duct 12 is provided with a slotted valve disc 33 forming the humidity control, which air can be mixed with the dry air normally passing through oration chamber 3 to form therebetween an annular heat to terminate in a larger portion 11 which in turn opens into a transfer duct 12 leading to the intake 13 of the blower 6 so that air may enter the opening at 10 and pass around the precooler-duct 9 to be cooled by contact with the outer wall 14 of the eva oration chamber.

the blower 6 and an effective humidity control thus results, the valve 29 thus controlling the amount of air which is available for the humid air chamber 31 but also controlling the rate of evaporation by the amount of air circulating through the evaporation chamber 3, surplus air flowing through this valve 29 being led away to outside of the building through the outlet 32, but the fan can draw in through the registering slots 34 and 35 any required quantity of this humid air to be fed through the heat exchange duct 4 and thus into the building being air conditioned.

Spacers 36 between the walls 25 and 26 support the heat transfer chamber 2 and also serve to increase heat transfer, while a horizontal partition 37 extending from the wall 14 to the wall 25 spaces this within the unit and also regulates air and water flow from the upper part of the evaporation chamber 3 to the lower part thereof the partition 37 having'apertures 38 therethroughr It will be realised that modifications of the foregoing can be effected, for instance the air bleed channel could lead into the lower part of the outer evaporating chamber and the air could flow into the humid air chamber 31 at the top, or the actual construction. and. shape of the various chamberscan. be materially changed, and

of course the outlet of the heat exchange duct 4 can be taken to a duct which may leadaway to'an area to be air conditioned instead of opening as shown.

The water inlet 17 may be provided with automatic level control means such as a float valve and the driving motor 8 could be external of the unit if such was thought advisable, particularly if the heat of the motor is to be kept out of the chamber 31. The warmair from the motor may otherwise be led away to any desired point. Heat insulation material may. be used where required.

The humidity control valve disc 33. will of course be provided. with an external control 39 by meansof which it can be set, While the shaft ofthe control valve 29 is similarly provided with. operating means disposed outside of the housing 1, suitable air seals. being, provided where these passthrough the housi'ngl'.

Where'the conditioner is to operate in humid climates the water delivery line 21 to the heat transfer chamber 2 and evaporation chamber 3may be first passed through a. radiator coil mountedinside of the air transferdu'ct 12 so that theair flowing, to the intake of the bloiwer6 will have to pass over this surface.

In operation water is placed into the sump 16: and" the blower 6 and pump-Sare setinmoti'o'n.

The pump forces water. through the pipe 21' to the spray lines 22 and line 24' in the evaporation chamber 3 and the heat exchange chamber 2, washing the" walls and gravitating back to the sump 16.-

The blower 6 creates a suction in the air'tt'ansfe'r duct 12 which causes air to enter at the inlet of the air precooler'duct 9 and flows around thewall 14 of the evaporation chamber 3 to be finally drawn into the air perature ofthe water and air. is thus reduced to provide a latent heat of vaporisation for the water being taken up by the air.

As the temperature of the circulating water is. reduced, it absorbs heat from the walls. ofthe evaporation chamber 3 which in turn absorb it from the air'passing through the precooler duct 9' and'the heat exchange duct 4.

The heat absorbedby the water is continually given up to provide the latent heat of vaporisation for the water being taken up by the air.

The air entering the humid air chamber is cold'and' damp and when it is desired that the humidity of the conditioned air should not be increased the humidity control. valve disc 33 is kept closed and the chamber 31 exhausts through the outlet32 to a duct leading away from the room.

Under such conditions the cooling of the conditioned air is accomplished mainly as it passes over the surfaces of the walls 14, and 26 of the air precooler duct 9 and the heat exchange duct 2.

When it is desired to increase the humidity of the conditioned air the valve 33 is opened to the required degree to allow the air from the evaporation chamber 3 I tofiow into the blower 6 and thusmingle with the air circulating from the room through the unit.

What I claim is: LA humidity and temperature regulatinggair 'conditioner comprising an air pre-cooler duct and an evaporation chamber and a heat exchange ductall arranged consecutively around a heat exchange chamber, a blower with its intake end connected with said air precooler duct and its outlet end connected with said heat exchange duct, an air bleed channel between the outlet of said blower and said evaporationv chamber, air fiow control means in said air bleed duct, a humid air chamber connected with said evaporation chamber to receive the air therefrom, air flow control valve means between said humid air chamber and the inlet of said blower, and spray means in said evaporation chamber and said heat exchange chamber.

2. A humidity and temperature regulating air conditioner comprising a central heat exchange chamber, a heat exchange duct around said central chamber, an evaporation chamber around said heat exchange chamber, an air pre-cooler duct around said evaporation chamber, ablower with its intake endconnected with said air pre-cooler duct and its outlet end connected with said-heatexchange duct, an-air bleed channel between the outlet ofthe said blowerand said evaporation chamber, air fiowcontrol means in said air bleed duct, a humid air chamber connected with said evaporation chamber to receive air' therefrom, air fi'ow control valve means between said hui'r'iid air chamber andthe inlet of said blower, and water'spray means-'in-said evaporation chamber and said heat exchange chamber.

3. A humidity and temperature regulating air conditionercomprising'anair pre-cooler duct and an evaporation chamber and a-heat exchangeduct all'arranged consecutively arounda heatex'changechamber, a humid air chamber atone endof the just said assembly, a blower in the same humid air chamber with its intake end con nected with said air pre-cooler duct and its outlet end connected with said heat exchange duct, driving means for the blower in said humid air chamber, an air bleed channel between the outlet of-said blower and said evaporation-chamber, air fiowcontrol means in said air bleed m duct, con'nectingmean's between the said humid air chamher and said'evaporation chamber to allow flow of air from the evaporation chamberto the humidair chamber, air flowcontrol valve means between said humid a-ir chamber and the inlet of said blower, spray means in said evaporationchamber and saidheat exchange chamber, a sump -in-' the bottom of the evaporation chamber, a-purnp-in-said humid air chamber, means connecting the inlet to said pump withthe said-sump, and means to connect the pump'outlet with'said spray means.

4. A humidity and temperature regulating air conditioner comprising a central heat exchange chamber, a heat exchange duct around said central chamber, an evaporation chamber around said'heat exchange chamber, an air pre-cooler'duct aroundsaid evaporation chamber, a blower with itsintake end connected with said air pre-cooler duct and its outlet end connected with said heat' exchange duct, an-air bleed channel between the outlet of the saidblower and said'evaporation chamber, air flow controlmeans in said'air bleed duct, a humid airchamber connected with said evaporation chamber to receive air therefrom, air flow control valve means between said humid air chamber and the inlet of said blower, waterspraymeans-in said evaporation chamber and-said heat exchange chamber, a pump to supply water to said spraymeans, a sump to collect water from said evaporation chamber and said heat exchange chamber, and-means connect-ingsaid pump inlet to said sump.

References Cited-inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,945,553 Koon Feb. 6, 193-r 2,150,514 Mclnnerney Mar. 14, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 148,763 Germany Feb. 2 5, 1904 

